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'ello 'ello,

i'll keep it quick: i've got a job interview on wednesday/thursday and have put on my CV that i do magic. So potentially i might be asked to show them a trick, any advice?
I'm thinking something quick , obviously i dont want to take up their time with a long routine. I was thinking along the lines of a signed card transposition or the classic pick a card, retun card, shuffle, was this your card (DL) no? put to one side, wave hands, reveal, look smug, accept job.

thankyou kindly

I do rubber band tricks in a pinch. My fastest is a one phase joint venture (from Bandshark). Did this recently to prove my powers in the middle of a board game and it didn't even interrupt the flow of play.

If you want to do something with a card, I learned a nice impromptu levitating card, I can PM you the details if you like. I learned it by watching someone doing it, which is the beauty of it, if someone thinks about it long enough, they'll figure it out. If you do something too impressive to an interviewer and they can't figure it out they may feel threatened by you, or demand how it's done, refusing could cast you in a bad light as a non-team player. If you do something simple which is a sort of joke effect, it casts you in a good light as being less challenging as a co-worker and generally an entertaining person.

Additionally, it only uses one card so you don't need to carry anything prop-like. A business card will do. Yours, theirs, anyones. A credit card, a driving license, I don't think you'll ever find yourself in a situation where you don't have a prop to try this with.

-Stacy

ahhh very good point Stacy thanks a lot, definately don't want them to feel threatened. Maybe i could tell them i can levitate but only for a short amount of time, and then jump in the air. This may be funnier in my mind than in real life though. Rubber bands is a good shout, they're sure to have some knocking around, is there anything in mark wilson complete course do ya know? i suppose rope magic is pretty applicable to rubber bands. and ooh go on then with the card levitation, sounds like a pretty useful one. Thanks for a very insightful comment!

Do some research on the company (you probably have already, and if not why not ?)
is there one of their products you can do something with ?
or change a £5 note with their company name written on it to a £10 note with their company name written on it.
or an equivoque where they end up picking a photo of you, rather than one of 4 blank cards.

You are leaving subtle messages with them (I can make a profit, you can easily pick me) but dont say that. It would sound too cheesy, or pushy.

Unless the job is for being some sort of entertainer I'd suggest you forget all about doing any magic at an interview and concentrate on the skills and attributes you need to get and do the job, magic can come later when you've settled in and know what you're doing.

Pretty much what Mandrake said, just go into the interview and not be a magician, but be a regular person doing a normal job interview.

Well I offered some suggestions based on the possibility that they might ask to see something.

If they don't ask, don't bother. This is why impromptu effects are the best, it shows a little skill on demand without making you out to be someone odd who carries a giant coin and a rubber ear everywhere (name that film).

-Stacy

Mandrake wrote:Unless the job is for being some sort of entertainer I'd suggest you forget all about doing any magic at an interview and concentrate on the skills and attributes you need to get and do the job, magic can come later when you've settled in and know what you're doing.

Agreed. I have never been asked to do a trick at any job interview I have attended, and you certainly shouldn't volunteer to do something. There's always the exception, of course, so I understand why someone might want to be prepared.

If you must have a trick ready, there are two routes you can go down. Something that seems like you've done it on the spur of the moment with things you have on you (coins, your watch, a pen) or something you "just happened to bring in case they asked". No harm in the latter, as it shows you are prepared. Actually, maybe for that reason it's better to bring some cards.

I think rubber bands are the worst of both worlds for this situation. You are unlikely to carry them with you (I don't know anyone who has rubber bands on them), but they are not something people would expect you to bring especially to perform.

I wouldn't worry about it too much; just choose something you already know. As Mandrake said, it's (almost certainly) not going to happen.

Over the years I have never been asked if I can show a Magic trick at an interview until a few years ago when I applied for a consultant type role working at schools. The funny thing is that I had a feeling they would ask me about Magic so I took along my SA Wallet with a routine in it along the lines of shortlist in case the subject was brought up.
They did ask me to show them something so I did the small routine. Basically the premise was that they had to chose a candidate from 12 people and they end up selecting me! It went down well and they did actually select me for the position. Luckily I get a lot of Magic work because of my involvement with the schools.
I would follow Mandrakes advice though and just concentrate on the interview, you don't want to be worried or distracted about other things. If you really want to do it, I always carry a coin unique with me unless I have spent it again in the shops.....

You might be asked about magic as an interest so be ready to talk about it, I've had that a few times but I've never been asked to show a trick. If you were asked, why not just do a quick coin vanish?

Ello magi,

If they happen to mention your magic interests during the interview, then politely tell them it's a hobby of yours.
Let him/her decide if they would like to see something.

Like M said "concentrate on the skills and attributes you need to get and do the job"

Hope you get it mate.

CArl...

Is it still the done thing to put your hobbies on your c.v.?

I personnaly leave it out, and am not even sure I would mention it if asked. I guess it depends of the type of job you're applying for.

How many of you guys and girls (non-professional magicians) have it listed on your resume?

Le Petit Bateleur wrote:How many of you guys and girls (non-professional magicians) have it listed on your resume?

I do.

I've also done a lot of interviews and always like to have a bit at the end of the interview when I try and get a feel (ooer) for the person outside of the work sphere. Like the person who had 'Photography' down as a hobby, which when questioned on it, admitted 'Oh it's my girlfriend not me who does that' , right so you lied on your CV about that, so what else on your CV did you lie about?

Depending on the type of job, you have to be careful showing things like this as they may think:

a) You'll spend more time showing colleagues your magic rather than doing your work.

b) You may leave after a while to pursue your hobby as a career.

Sometimes these things can go against you in this situation. If they ask about it then show them something but I wouldn't push it upon them unless it's relevant to the job you are applying for.

I got my current job due to having magic on my CV. Funnily enough, they asked for a trick in the 1st interview and I'd not brought a deck of cards, as I had with the 4 interviews before it.